Eleven Sports to launch new service in Myanmar
June 22, 2018
Global sports provider Eleven Sports is set to launch a new sports service, branded My Sports, for dedicated fans in Myanmar. The South East Asian country becomes Eleven Sports’ eleventh market.
My Sports has secured multi-year, global live rights to the Myanmar National Football League (MNL), ensuring local fans have access to all matches from the country’s top-flight domestic league.
Ahead of the nine-year partnership which begins in 2019, the potentially title deciding match between Shan United vs Yangon is set to be streamed globally on the My Sports Facebook page on June 23rd. This will be followed by Yadanarbon FC v Southern Myanmar on July 1st.
From 2019, My Sports will deliver all 132 matches on a new linear service via satellite and OTT platforms through to the end of 2027. Currently, only a third of MNL matches are shown live.
My Sports will produce all 132 matches per season which will include the provision of live commentary, analysis and discussion. To supplement the live action on-air, My Sports will produce and distribute highlights shows and weekly magazine programmes, as well as engaging fans online and across social media.
The agreement also includes live action from the General Aung San Shield – the top domestic cup competition in Myanmar.
Two games per match week will continue to be aired on Myanmar’s largest FTA channel, MRTV, and MY SPORTS intends to make these games available on other FTA platforms. My Sports will seek to secure the widest possible distribution on FTA, pay platforms and through telecommunications companies to ensure the widest possible local language access for football fans in Myanmar to their domestic league.
“Myanmar is our fourth new market this year and our eleventh in total, which is completely in line with our huge global ambitions. With My Sports we have created a new brand, not used in any other market, designed to satisfy the needs of the sports fans of Myanmar,” said Danny Menken, Group Managing Director, Eleven Sports. “Our long-term partnership with the Myanmar National League will ensure that we help the country develop its football infrastructure over a sustained period, providing local fans with more opportunities to watch and participate in their favourite sport. As always, our proposition will be enriched with many more local and international premium sports rights which will be announced in the coming weeks and months.”
“We are delighted with this partnership with My Sports as it will empower us to be able to build the status and quality of the Myanmar National League not just locally, but abroad as well. This will give us a platform to grow commercially which will in turn allow more resources to be invested in the quality of football in the country, as we work towards our national vision of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in 2030,” said Dr Sai Sam Htun, Vice-Chairman, Myanmar National League.
My Sports’ launch in Myanmar follows Eleven Sports’ recent entry into major European markets – the UK, Ireland and Portugal, in addition to existing markets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and the US.